New Delhi, Dec 23 (NationPress) The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has uncovered a significant operation engaged in the illegal import, manipulation of expiry dates, and repackaging of expired international food products, with seized goods valued at approximately Rs 4.3 crore, officials reported on Tuesday.

This operation has revealed a critical public health risk, as expired food items—including baby food and other consumables—were being distributed through retail chains, shopping malls, and e-commerce platforms nationwide.

Following specific intelligence, the Cyber Cell of the Crime Branch executed raids in the Pahari Dheeraj and Faiz Ganj neighborhoods of Sadar Bazar, a prominent wholesale market in the capital.

“During the crackdown, seven individuals, including the primary mastermind, were arrested, and substantial amounts of expired international food products were confiscated from various shops and storage facilities,” stated the Delhi Police in their press release.

Officials from the Food Safety Department of the Delhi government were summoned to the site to collect samples and perform necessary legal procedures.

Investigators identified that the operation was led by Atal Jaiswal (54), who reportedly acquired near-expiry or expired international food shipments at extremely low prices through wholesale agents in Mumbai.

“The investigation revealed that the mastermind, Atal, was importing near-expiry international food products at dramatically reduced costs via Mumbai-based wholesale agents, who procured consignments from the UK, USA, Dubai, and other regions. By the time these shipments arrived in India, many of the products had already expired or were unfit for consumption,” the police disclosed.

Rather than disposing of the expired products as mandated by law, the accused allegedly changed manufacturing and expiry dates, applied counterfeit barcodes and batch numbers, and repackaged the items to give them the appearance of freshness and authenticity.

The police reported that these tampered goods were distributed in bulk to well-known retail establishments, malls, and online platforms throughout India, yielding substantial illegal profits while posing severe health risks to consumers.

The recovery of printing machinery, sealing tools, and date-altering devices confirmed the operation's existence as a full-fledged illegal repackaging and adulteration unit.

A case has been registered under the applicable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station.

The confiscated items include over 43,000 kg of food products and more than 14,600 litres of beverages, spanning biscuits, chocolates, snacks, sauces, condiments, and popular international energy drinks.

“We will take stringent legal action against everyone involved in the illicit trade of adulterated and expired food products to prevent such hazardous items from reaching the public,” asserted DCP Harsh Indora.